11 March 2007

Okay, show of hands. Who else's favorite character on the original Star Trek series is Scottie? (I say "is" because this show is still in syndication and I still watch it.)

As if they had nothing better to do, several towns in Scotland have been competing for the honor of being named Montogomery Scott's birthplace. NOT James Doohan's, mind you - Scottie. The fictional character! Here's more:

James Doohan, the actor who played Montgomery Scott, the chief engineer on the starship Enterprise, passed away in July 2005. There was then an unseemly scramble by a number of Scottish locations to be named as the (future) birthplace of the fictional character. Elgin and Linlithgow vied with Aberdeen, each quoting verbal and written "evidence". It now seems that Linlithgow has won this particular space race. A writer who created many of the original Star Trek episodes has confirmed to West Lothian's "enterprise committee" that the future birthplace (on June 28, 2222) of "Scotty" who regularly beamed up Captain Kirk, was/will be none other than Linlithgow. Now the town where Mary Queen of Scots was born is planning a Star Trek exhibition in the Annet House Museum. It will feature the original Star Trek costume worn by Scotty plus a scale model of the famous starship Enterprise. So in addition to displaying the history of the town, the museum will be showing its future as well...Source: Rampant Scotland